Roses of Hope
by RachDwarf
Summary: It gave him hope, the hope that was never given to him.     Scabior/Hermione


The first smell that hit his nose when he stopped was one of flowers. It was a light flower aroma, maybe a rose. It hit him like a ton of bricks though, it was enchanting, refreshing. He just knew he wanted to find what the smell was and embrace it. He stopped and held his dirty hand up in the air. He wanted to stop the talking to see if he could find where the fragrance was coming from. He hoped it was a girl, a nice girl who could help him find his way. He was lost, doing anything to keep from Azkaban. Even if it meant hurting innocent people.

He never liked hunting muggleborns, or mudbloods as some of the wizarding population called them, he did it to earn some money. He was never a rich person, never even well liked. He was in Slytherin and laughed with his friends, not trying to gain attention. He laughed to fit in, not because it was funny. It was never funny.

He had wanted to change his ways, but the Ministry promised him riches, more than he could ever imagine. He had turned evil for a while, but finding this smell brought him to his senses. You could think this is stupid, a smell can't do that much, but to him it could.

It have him hope, the hope that was never given to him.

His partners dropped the bodies they were holding and he looked at them.

"What're you doing?" He asked. They must be beginning to worry by now, he was never the type to just stand and watch. He was the one to attack, to lead.

"The bodies were getting heavy," The larger of the partners said. He rolled his eyes, how he got stuck with these people he would never understand, would never know. He knew he wanted to do this task, but with cunning people like him. People who could outsmart the enemies, not just hit them in the head with their fists.

"Well, pick them up, the Ministry'll want them alive y'know," He said. The partners sighed and picked the children's bodies up again. They started to walk and he followed. He deliberately inhaled all the air he could around him until he couldn't smell the aroma of roses again. He didn't know this, but the next time he smelled the aroma, he would be sacrificing the girls life.

He finally saw her enchanting face in a forest, he wasn't sure which one. He just knew as soon as he smelled the perfume it was her. He took her scarf off of the tree it was tied onto and put it around his neck. He knew this marked the spot they would come back too, he just wasn't sure what time.

"What're you looking at?" He asked his partners.

"Why d'you have a scarf 'round your neck?" The large partner who was called Greyback asked.

He couldn't tell them that when they were in the woods a few weeks ago that he had smelled this smell. It would be creepy, almost as creepy as taking her scarf off the tree.

"Why're you asking me this question, I'm the boss," He replied. Greyback nodded, looking unsure. He probably thought the boss was crazy, leaning against the side of a tree with the scarf around his fingers.

They waited for a while until three people apparated, two boys and a girl. He saw the back of the girl and held his breath. This must be her, he thought.

"Is there anyone we can trust?" One of the boys asked. He had ginger hair and was taller than the other one and the girl. The other boy was short and had black hair that went everywhere, the girl had curly brown hair. The girl sighed and turned around. He thought she was beautiful, with her big brown eyes and pouted lips. She froze and then her friends looked at her, then at the snatchers.

He smirked. "Don't just stand there, snatch them."

His partners all ran after the trio, casting curses as they went. They ran past trees and up and down hills until they saw the beautiful girl and the black haired boy. Greyback and another partner walked up to them and grabbed them. Another partner came out holding the ginger boy. Greyback had the girl, who was trying to break away.

"Let her go!" The ginger shouted. He tried to get out of the partners grip and they punched him in the stomach.

"No!" The girl shouted back, looking defeated.

"Your boyfriend will get much worse if he keeps acting like that," Greyback said.

He walked down to the clearing where they were, the scarf still around his neck.

"Well, what do we have here?" He asked. He walked up to Greyback and the girl. "Hello beautiful."

She tooked terrified of the men now that they had hit the ginger.

"What's your name?" He asked her.

"Penelope Clearwater." She replied, her voice steady. "Half-blood."

She knew to say that before he asked. Snatchers only cared about muggleborns, they left most of the other people alone. He nodded and walked up to the black haired boy. One side of his face was drooping down, the other was normal.

"What happened to you, ugly?" He asked. A partner and the boy looked at him. He pointed to the partner. "Not you. What's your name then?"

"Dudley, Vernon Dudley." He said. The last partner, who had his hands free, was searching for the names. After a moment he stopped.

"Scabior, there's no Penelope Clearwater or Vernon Dudley in here," He said.

Scabior nodded. "Well then, I guess you get to g-"

Something on Vernon Dudley's head caught Scabior's eye. He was a little confused then moved his hand to Vernon's forehead. He moved the hair and saw a lightning bolt scar, he had seen reports about him in the Daily Prophet. He was traveling with a muggleborn, Hermione Granger, who must have been this girl held by Greyback.

"Change of plans boys," Scabior said, sounding delighted by himself, "we're not taking this lot to the Ministry."

He smirked and saw the trio's eyes light up with fear. But he didn't know that it would be the last time he would ever smell those roses. As soon as the girl, Hermione, walked past him, he would never see her again. He would never smell those roses of hope.


End file.
